Glory
by Wryn Flynt
Summary: All Ribena Black ever wanted for her son was glory. This is what happens when the gifts parents give are not well recieved. The interactions of Sirius and Ribena, mother and son.


Glory

Ribena Demetra Black held the newborn child in her arms and smiled gently and secretly. Her husband had not yet been allowed to see her and she took this moment to revel in the marvel she cradled. She softly brushed the sable strands that graced his noble forehead, knowing for certain that he would be devastatingly handsome and would be able to uphold the Black family name with effortless ease. Even in infancy there was a sense of dignity about him that seemed to command the attentions of any who glanced in his direction.

Antonius Mabraxan Black entered shortly thereafter and instantly strode to see his son for the first time.

"What shall you name him?" Antonius asked without ceremony. It was tradition in pureblood families that the mother was permitted to name the child, and that the firstborn's middle name would be that of the father.

Ribena glanced from her son's shining dark eyes and out the window whence they gazed.

"Sirius," she stated simply, "His name is Sirius."

"Sirius Antonius Black," Antonius intoned.

Ribena smiled again, her eyes glinting in the light of the star bearing her son's name.

_I'll give you this gift_

_My darling, My dear one_

_Do with it the best you can_

_Please cherish this gift_

_My wonder, My treasure_

_You'll soon be a better man_

Ribena watched her son grow tall and strong, and never ceased to marvel in the miracle of his simple existence. She taught him well; imparting in him all of the values of the noble line of the Blacks. He learned quickly, repeating her words as if it were second nature to him.

Soon another followed and Sirius took no greater joy than showing young Regulus the world and all the joys that it had to offer. Yet as he and Regulus grew close, he grew lax in his studies of pureblood history and society.

**Just give me time**

**My mother, My sunset**

**To use what you've given to please**

**I'll soon get it right**

**I promise you Mother**

**Someday I shall use it with ease**

Yet Ribena did not fret. Regulus became more attentive than his brother in this area of study and so Ribena had every reason to believe that Sirius would simply re-impassion himself under Regulus' influence.

The day came when Ribena walked along platform 9 ¾ with her eldest son, feeling the anxiety of separation but knowing better than to show it. She gave him the lecture her husband would have approved of about nobility, honor, glory, and upholding the family name in all of his endeavors. Sirius nodded dutifully and after a short goodbye boarded the Hogwarts Express.

Shortly thereafter tempers raged in the Black household. Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor! What was that damned hat playing at? Had it lost its touch after so many years? Antonius wrote to the headmaster, petitioning for a change of house, but was informed that such an act would be impossible.

Ribena attempted to sooth herself by writing to her son and asking him of his accommodations and adaptations. Perhaps words from his own pen would alleviate her concerns, and she had not heard from him in some time.

_Tell me how you're doing_

_My child, My only_

_Have you found a use for my gift?_

_Tell me, please tell me!_

_My sunshine, My glory_

_Inspire me! Give me a lift!_

Sirius was at breakfast talking with his new friend James Potter. James had opened another world for him; a world where he was not judged by his name, where he did not have the constant pressure of abiding by the laws that governed family dignity and restraint. He was having real fun for the first time in his life and he found James' ideas of new age equality to be liberating.

He saw some of the children he'd grown up with gazing at him from the Slytherin table. As nervous as he's been about joining unfamiliar faces, he found that he would rather be with James than among those he knew. He was refreshed by the lack of uptight and tense energy that all of the great families seemed to inspire in their children and he found he didn't mind letting go of his pure-bred beliefs.

Suddenly the grand owl bearing a letter with the Black family crest landed in front of Sirius' toast and stuck out its leg. He removed the letter hesitantly and read its contents as quickly as possible before shoving it unceremoniously into his bag.

"What is it mate?" came James' voice from his right.

"A letter from my mother," Sirius replied casually, "she just wants to know how I'm doing."

"Oh, tell her I say hello," James piped in cheerily as he reached for more jam.

Sirius nodded but he knew he had no intention of actually doing so. His mother would not like James' ideas.

**Oh what shall I tell you**

**Poor mother, I'm nothing**

**I have not found a use for it yet**

**My passion lives elsewhere**

**Breathes elsewhere, not with you**

**And your gift has naught to beget**

Ribena locked the letter in a drawer. If her husband happened upon it the events would be disastrous. After many months of prying, Ribena was able to get Sirius to truly speak of his actions at Hogwarts and she did not like what she had read.

Consorting with muggleborns and half-bloods? How could he? After all that she had done to raise him carefully and in a true pureblood environment how could he do this to her?

Regulus must not know. She happily agreed to allow Sirius to spend the summer with the Potters in hopes that he would see the error of his ways and so she would be able to keep her youngest son uncorrupted. The latter of her efforts worked and she soon received joyous news that he had been sorted into Slytherin. He would flourish in the atmosphere where the Black name belonged.

But Sirius had gotten worse. The summer spent at the Potters' was the catalyst in the pollution of his noble mind. He grew angry with her in his letters, spouting ideas of blasphemy and speaking of his variety of friends.

Antonius eventually came upon Ribena as she was reading one of these letters and his order was swift, resolved, and absolute. Ribena herself was made to pen the letter and through years of purebred self control she was able to leave the page free of tear-smeared ink.

_How can you do this?_

_Ungrateful! Untrue one!_

_How dare you squander my love!_

_I gave it for your future_

_You coward! Blood traitor!_

_I'll no longer shelter your dove._

Sirius knew something was wrong the instant Regulus ceased to meet his gaze even as they passed in the halls. While they did not share the same circle of friends, Regulus was the younger Black and showed the respect that was required and on occasion came to his brother for a word or two.

"You alright?" James asked an unusually silent Sirius at the breakfast table one morning.

"I'll let you know in a minute," Sirius replied flatly. The moments seemed to crawl by until finally a rustling of wings and feathers permeated the silence of the Great Hall.

"Sirius," Remus whispered as the Black owl sped towards them.

Sirius clenched his jaw knowing that the moment had come to open the letter of impending destiny. Something was not right and this would explain it all. He removed the letter from the Hades' leg and the owl flew off instantly. The parchment seemed unusually heavy and Sirius was reluctant to open the foreboding pages.

When he did he read the letter through twice. Upon this conclusion of events he simply stared ahead with blank eyes.

"What is it?" James inquired, "Can you still spend the summer with me?"

"Yes," Sirius said softly, "In fact I need to." James' eyebrows met in his look of puzzlement. Remus tentatively extracted the letter from Sirius' hands and read it through before passing it to James with wide, sorrowful eyes.

"I'll be at your place the night after term ends," Sirius began again, "it shouldn't take too long to pack."

**I truly am sorry**

**My Lady I swear it**

**I love you true with my heart**

**But you cannot see me**

**My own gifts, my merits**

**And it grieves me now we must part**

Sirius levitated his trunk down the stairs. No one had spoken to him for the few hours that he'd been ho—

No. This was not home anymore. This was just Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The house in which he had once lived.

He opened the door, knowing it wouldn't creak. The house elves were too well trained for that. He told himself not to look back but his better judgment was pushed aside momentarily.

He could see his brother's face for a fraction of a second before Regulus turned away and retreated to his new room. Now that he was the eldest Black he had been given the room that had once belonged to and elder son. A son who was now dead to the family.

His father was nowhere to be seen but Sirius had been expecting this. They had never been that close anyway. Antonius was not exactly a family man.

Yet a shadow in the hallway stepped into the half-light though still remaining in shadow.

"Farewell Mother," Sirius said quietly. Then he turned the doorknob and crossed the threshold into a new world.

"Farewell…my son."

_Farewell you ingrate_

_My letdown, my heartsore_

_You wont know that (though we part in strife)_

_I lament your leaving_

_My teardrop, my heartbreak_

_And with you, you carry my life_

Ribena watched as the light from the crack in the door grew thinner until it was extinguished. The sound of the lock clicking back into place was deafening to her ears.

She stood for only a moment longer, allowing a single tear to form before she blinked it away and set about the business of making her youngest…her only…son comfortable now that he had returned.

Miles away another door opened revealing a slim sixteen-year-old with round glasses. He embraced the boy in front of him briefly, leaving his hand on the boy's shoulder for a moment's comfort.

"Welcome home Sirius."


End file.
